In the semiconductor industry, a photolithography method using visible light or ultraviolet light has been employed as a technique for transferring a fine pattern on a silicon substrate or the like, which is required for forming an integrated circuit comprising such a fine pattern. For miniaturization of semiconductor devices, it has been attempted to refine the resolution limit, for example, by a combination of an ArF laser (wavelength: 193 nm) and an immersion method, but such a conventional photolithography method has reached near to the limit. Therefore, as an exposure technique for further miniaturization, EUV lithography is considered to be promising, which is an exposure technique using EUV light having a shorter wavelength than an ArF laser. In this specification, “EUV light” means a light ray having a wavelength in a soft X-ray region or a vacuum ultraviolet ray region, specifically a light ray having a wavelength of from about 10 to 20 nm, particularly about 13.5 nm±0.3 nm.
EUV light is apt to be absorbed by any substances and the refractive indices of substances are close to 1 at this wavelength, whereby it is impossible to use a dioptric system like a conventional photolithography employing visible light or ultraviolet light. For this reason, for EUV light lithography, a catoptric system, i.e. a combination of a reflective photomask and a mirror, is employed.
A mask blank is a stacked member for fabrication of a photomask, which has not been patterned yet. In the case of an EUV mask blank, it has a structure wherein a substrate made of glass or the like has a reflective layer to reflect EUV light and an absorptive layer to absorb EUV light, formed thereon in this order. As the reflective layer, a Mo/Si multilayer reflective film is usually employed wherein a molybdenum (Mo) layer as a high refractive index layer and a silicon (Si) layer as a low refractive index layer are alternately laminated to enhance the light reflectance when the layer surface is irradiated with EUV light.
For the absorptive layer, a material having a high absorption coefficient to EUV light, specifically e.g. a material containing chromium (Cr) or tantalum (Ta) as the main component, is employed.
The multilayer reflective film and the absorptive layer are formed on an optical surface of a glass substrate by e.g. an ion beam sputtering method or a magnetron sputtering method. At the time of forming the multilayer reflection film and the absorptive layer, the glass substrate is held by a holding tool. As the glass substrate-holding tool, a mechanical chuck and an electrostatic chuck have been used.
Further, a mechanical chuck and an electrostatic chuck have been used as a glass substrate-holding tool also in a mask patterning process at the time of preparing a reflective mask from an EUV mask blank, or at the time of handling a reflective mask during the exposure in the EUV lithography.
However, such glass substrate-holding tools had the following problems.
Mechanical chucks are generally classified into ones to hold a glass substrate by clamping it from both sides and ones to hold a glass substrate by clamping it from its side surface directions. In the former case, the surface of the glass substrate on which the multilayer reflection film or the absorptive layer is formed is clamped, thus leading to a problem such that scratches are likely to be formed on the film-forming surface, or dusting is likely to be caused by such scratching. On the other hand, in the case of the latter, the mechanical chuck is usually larger than the glass substrate in the side surface direction, and during the forming of the multilayer reflective film or the absorptive layer, the amount of film deposition on the chuck itself is likely to increase, which is likely to cause dusting.
On the other hand, in the case of the electrostatic chuck, in order to provide a sufficient holding force, the center portion of the glass substrate is brought in contact with the catching and holding surface of the electrostatic chuck for holding. However, by the contact of the center portion of the rear surface (the rear surface to the film-deposition surface) of the glass substrate with the catching and holding surface of the electrostatic chuck, foreign substances are likely to deposit on the center portion, or scratches are likely to be formed at the center portion. Especially when the electrostatic chuck is used for holding, a problem is likely to occur such that foreign substances are attracted by the residual electric charge or leaking electric field.
The electrostatic chuck is a technique which has been heretofore used to catch and hold a silicon wafer in a process for producing semiconductor devices. However, in the case of substrate having a low dielectric constant and electrical conductivity like a glass substrate, it is required to apply a high voltage in order to obtain a chuck force at a level equivalent in the case of a silicon wafer, whereby there is a possible danger of insulation breakdown. Accordingly, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, an attempt has been made to form a coating with a high dielectric constant and high electrical conductivity on the rear surface of a glass substrate ‘hereinafter referred to as a rear surface electroconductive film” in this specification. Here, the rear surface electroconductive film is required to be formed at a position which is in contact with the catching and holding surface of the electrostatic chuck, and it is formed at the center portion on the rear surface of the glass substrate ‘(e.g. in the case of a glass substrate of 152.4 mm×152.4 mm, at a region of 146 mm×146 mm at its center). If foreign substances, particularly foreign substances with a size of at least 200 nm, are deposited on the center portion of the rear surface of the glass substrate, an electroconductive film on the rear surface is likely to be damaged. Further, by such a damage of the electroconductive film on the rear surface, new foreign substances are likely to be formed. Further, if foreign substances are deposited on the rear surface of the glass substrate, the foreign substances detached from the rear surface of the glass substrate are likely to deposit on the film deposition surface of the glass substrate or on the film deposition device (e.g. at electrode portions of the electrostatic chuck), during transportation of the glass substrate, or in various processes such as cleaning, inspection, etc. to be carried out in the process for producing an EUV mask blank. In a case where foreign substances are deposited on electrode portions of the electrostatic charge in the film deposition apparatus, when such a film deposition apparatus is used next time, the electrode portions in such a state that foreign substances are deposited, will be in contact with a rear surface electroconductive film formed on the rear surface of a fresh glass substrate, such being problematic. Also at the time of preparing a reflective mask from an EUV mask blank, deposition of foreign substances on the electrode portions of the electrostatic chuck in the exposure apparatus, is problematic in that the glass substrate is likely to undergo warpage, and the exposure pattern is likely to be deformed.